CARIBBEAN TODAY Woman replaces Panday as T&T Opposition leader PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC Attorney Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been appointed Opposition leader in Trinidad and Tobago, according to an official state- ment issued here late last month. The brief state- ment from the Ministry of Public Administration and Information said the appointment of Persad-Bissessar, a former attorney general, uki, I effect from April Persad-Bisse 26". She becomes the first woman to hold the post in Trinidad and Tobago. Persad-Bissessar replaced former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, who was sentenced to two years imprisonment last month after he was found guilty of failing to declare a London bank account to the Integrity Commission for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999, while he was prime minister of this Caribbean nation. Television reports said that Panday had personally endorsed Persad-Bissessar, a former educa- tion minister. Opposition Chief Whip I. |Ganga Singh said it was his understanding that Panday gave instruc- tions to his Members of Parliament to support Singh Persad- Bissessar. "This is what I was told by one sitting MP" he said. Later in the month Singh resigned his post as the infighting between the main Opposition United National Congress (UNC) took another turn. DENIAL But UNC Deputy Chairman Vasant Bharat denied that Panday had issued instructions from jail on who should be his replacement. He said however that Panday was informed about all the developments. Bharat told a news conference last month that "the UNC executive met in emergency ses- sion and endorsed and approved the position taken by these MPs," to back Persad-Bissessar. In the letter to President Richards, the eight Opposition MPs said that Persad-Bissessar "commands our support in the House of Representatives and we kindly request that she be appointed as Leader of the Opposition in the IH uIt, .L 0 KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - K.D. Knight, Jamaica's former foreign affairs and foreign trade minister, will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group for the general election in the Fiji Islands next month. A statement from the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat said that Knight would lead the team from May 6-13. In addition to Knight, who resigned from the Jamaica government in March, the other Caribbean national on the team is Sheila Roseau, executive director, Directorate of Gender Affairs in Antigua. The Commonwealth PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC Three political parties, including the newly formed Movement for National Development (MND), have announced a merger, saying they are confident of winning the next general elections con- stitutionally due in Trinidad and Tobago next year. The leaders of the MND, the Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago (DPTT) and the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) told a joint news conference last month that a legal team would be working on a Memorandum Secretariat said that the observer group would consist of six eminent per- sons, support- ed by three members of Knight staff. Last month, the Commonwealth Secretary- General Don McKinnon sent a Secretariat Assessment Mission to Fiji, following an invitation from the Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. FOCUS The observer group will focus on relevant aspects of of Understanding (MOU) to guide the future activities. The NAR, which held power in this oil-rich Caribbean nation from 1986- 91, has not fared well in the last two general elections, even though it once formed part of a coalition government that replaced the ruling People's National Movement (PNM) in 1995. Like the DPTf, which contested the last general election, the NAR has not been able to command more than five percent of the popular votes. But NAR Leader Dr. the organization and conduct of the general elections, in accordance with the laws of the Fiji Islands. It would also consider the various factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole and to determine, in its own judgement, whether the conditions exist for a free expression of will by the elec- tors and if the results of the elections reflect the wishes of the people, the statement said. The group will submit a report at the end of its mis- sion. 0 Carson Charles said he was confi- dent that the new force would be ready ahead of the polls. "We will be Charles ready before the elections," he said, adding "it will be a terrible shame for us to have found that we have so much in common and not proceed together." IF * U.N. investigating Haiti polls Haiti's most recent elections are being investigated by the United Nations mission amid accusations that election officials and other groups had committed fraud during the polls, a U.N. spokesman said late last month. Spokesman Marc Jacque said the inquiry into possible fraud during the April 21 crucial legislative runoff is being con- ducted throughout the country by the Major Crime Unit of the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission, known as MINIUTAH. "We are investigating possi- ble fraud in the election," said Jacquet saying no time limit was set for the investigation. * Guyana's gov't seeks extension The Joint Parliamentary Opposition Parties (JPOP) late last month said it had been taken by surprise by the Guyana govern- ment's decision to table legisla- tion seeking to extend its parlia- mentary life. "The move took us by sur- prise," Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine said. Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon said that the intention behind the Constitution Amendment Bill was "to extend and provide for an additional month within which general elections could be held." He said that the amendment "removes the Aug. 4 date that has been bandied around as the end of the constitutional authority of the administration to a month later, by which time one antici- pates the Elections Commission would be able to discharge their mandate for general elections in 2006." * Privy Council rules Manning's favor The London-based Privy Council has said that Prime Minister Patrick Manning did nothing wrong when he delayed calling another general election after the unprecedented 18-18 election tie in Trinidad and Tobago in 2001. In an 11-page judgment, the Privy Council, the island's final court, dismissed a judicial review case brought by two electors, Florence Bobb and Girlie Moses, that Manning should have called fresh general elections when the House of Representatives failed to elect a Speaker in April 2002. It has ordered that they pay costs. The Privy Council found that Manning did everything constitu- tional to resolve the crisis in Trinidad and Tobago, after then ruling Peoples National Movement (PNM) and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) both won 18 seats in the 36-seat Parliament. * Bermuda premier plays down election Premier Alex Scott has moved to squash speculation that Bermuda might be heading for a general election later this year. Speaking during an unscheduled appearance at a Progressive Labour Party (PLP) meeting in West Pembroke recently, Scott ended a defiant, campaign trail-style speech with the comment: "If some of you think we are preparing for an election, you might be right," rais- ing the possibility that govern- ment might soon be planning to call a snap vote. But the Premier later warned the population not to read too much into his comments while speaking at last month's community forum which was attended by a number of govern- ment ministers and other legisla- tors. * Christians offer election guidelines The Montserrat Christian Council (MCC) has issued a list of proposed guidelines, which it hopes will "serve as guides for political parties and candidates, the electorate and the media for the upcoming elections". General elections will be held on May 31. * New political party for Dominica? William "Para" Riviere, the former general secretary of the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP), says he will soon launch a new political party in Dominica. "I stand firm in my belief that what is required now is a new political movement to take this country forward into the twenty first century," Riviere told the state-owned Dominica Broadcasting Station (DBS) last month. * Preval likely to win Parliament support The political party of President-elect Rene Preval failed to win a majority in last month's legislative run-off for the 129 seats in Parliament, but political observers say he could still receive the backing of at least 88 legislators. Preval's party "Lespwa" won 11 of the 27 Senate seats already decided and 20 the 85 house seats tallied, according to the results of the April 21 legislative runoff released by the Electoral Council on April 26. Compiled from CMC reports. IF BRIEFS Caribbean reps to monitor Fiji elections Small Opposition parties merge in T&T May 2006